Swamped & Sunburnt
by Qwerts
Summary: (AU) When war threatens the dragons the Sun Warriors protect, Zuko will do anything to save them. Katara, trying to find her place in the world, will do anything to help. When their paths cross, they find themselves saving more than just dragons. (Zutara / Written for ObeliskX)


**A/N: Hello, all. This story is written by the request of** _ **ObeliskX,**_ **who sent me the links to two pictures and asked me to write a story using them both (the picture links are included at the bottom of this story. All credit to the respective artists, of course). Kudos to anyone who makes it through this monster of a oneshot, by the way. I know if I were reading it, I'd look at the word count and give up, so thanks to all of you who give it a go. Happy Reading :)**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

The sky was dark, the moon high. Nestled between several hills and isolated lay a sprawling stone kingdom, its inhabitants sleeping quietly. The kingdom was a cultured one, and red paint covered the ancient stone with complex symbols. None of the symbols were in the language of men.

As the night drew on, two men emerged from their homes and met in a quiet corner of their world. One was squat and round covered in red silk. He wore so many gold bangles around his arms and ankles that his skin glinted gold in the moonlight. His bald head was covered in white and red tattoos.

The other man was as unadorned as the other was covered; he wore nothing but a low tunic, colored red and gold, and had a single gold bangle circling each muscled bicep. Two red striped were painted on each side of his face, reaching from his jaw to the corner of his eyes. His skin was otherwise unmarked. He towered above the other man in height.

Both men bowed respectfully to each other in greeting, then walked closely, their heads bent together to talk quietly.

"I'm not sure about this," the first man admitted, once the obligatory greetings had been exchanged. "We've never needed help before."

"We had more dragons before," the other man said calmly. If it was an argument the two had had often, the second man hid his impatience well. "You've never seen war, brother. Two dragons will not vanquish this tribe."

The first man gave a weary sigh. "No, I'm no warrior. But I do tend to the dead, Akio, and it is the most trying of my duties."

"Then you agree we need outside help."

"No," the first argued. "Not if that will lead to future invasion. We are charged to _protect_ our way of life, not invite spectators to gawk at it."

"Yes, yes, there's no need to preach that to me," Akio said. "But we cannot protect our way of life if we're beaten on the battlefield- no, let me finish," he added, when the shorter man made to interrupt. "If we fight this war by ourselves, we will lose. We will have failed our charge, if you will. Yes, my solution is risky, but to not take that chance means certain failure."

"Have you taken it to the Council?" The first asked after a long moment.

"I need a priest's support for any proposed war plan. You know this."

"Humph," the priest grunted noncommittally. "That's politics for you. What do we know of war?"

"If it is blessed by the gods," Akio replied. For the first time, his exasperation bled through. "Shin, we don't have time for this. If we take my plan of action, we must take it soon. Otherwise it will be too late."

Shin still looked uncertain, but Akio had chosen his moment to state his case well. The people were worried, though they knew not to show it. His temples were full with troubled civilians daily. His own meditations reveled to him that the dragons did not sleep well. Something had to be done.

"Very well," Shin sighed. "Who do you have in mind?"

* * *

 **Part I**

* * *

"Miss Katara," the guard said, giving her a hesitant, tense bow. Katara nodded stiffly back. _Smile! Make a good impression!_ Her mind said, but then she was through the gates and still looked, she suspected, like she might be sick. _Fantastic._

"Look at it all," breathed a voice from besides her. From the corner of her eye, Katara could see her brother's head tipped back to take in the view.

"Yeah," she agreed. It was enough to steal an outsider's breath away; great, sprawling stone temples and walls, carved into the hills and covered in red lettering that was illegible to Katara's eyes. The midday sun made the weathered stones beneath her feet hot, and she had to keep shifting her weight so the soles of her feet didn't burn, but it didn't seem to bother the inhabitants.

"Miss Katara!" Turning, Katara saw a woman rushing towards her, looking harried. Like most people Katara could see, the newcomer wore a bright red and gold tunic clinched loosely around the waist. Unlike the others, she wore no bangles or paint.

"That's me," Katara said, and immediately felt stupid. In a nation that had allowed no outsiders in for centuries, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Luckily, the new woman didn't seem to find Katara's greeting too odd.

"My name is Akane," she said when she had reached them. As she spoke, she gave them a swift bow. "You may call me Ane."

"It's very nice to meet you, Ane," Katara said, bowing back. Ane was already in motion again, surveying her brother. Katara elbowed him in the ribs.

"Oh, uh… I'm Sokka," he spluttered, mimicking Katara's awkward bow. "I'm Katara's brother and guard."

"Are you a bender as well?" Ane's eyebrows arched towards her hairline. "We received no word a second bender would accompany you."

"No, he's not," Katara assured her, ignoring her brother's scowl. "He's just a regular warrior."

Ane looked confused by the distinction, but didn't ask further.

"Well," she said, turning and motioning for them to follow her, "you're a little off schedule, but we'll work around it."

"Thanks, I think," Sokka muttered. Luckily, Ane didn't seem to hear him. They followed their guide obediently though the city, Katara trying not to stare too much and Sokka rubbing his boomerang between his palms uneasily.

"So… I assume there are others?" She ventured after a moment. Ane spared her a quick glance, looking annoyed.

"Oh course," she said quickly. "You'll meet them briefly. _They're_ already with the War Council."

"If they've already started, you might as well tell us something useful so we'll be caught up," Sokka reasoned. As he walked, he shot glares at any inhabitants who were unfortunate to stare too openly. Katara was stopped from chastening him by Ane's reply.

"Very well," she conceded reluctantly. "One warrior was invited who could bend each element. Only the best, naturally, to minimize the outsiders involved. I presume you know the issue?"

"There's a war," Katara responded, stretching her memory back to what she'd heard. "Sun Warriors protect dragons, and you have hunters in your hills."

"Yes," Ane confirmed stiffly. Their inability to defend their borders themselves was clearly a sore spot.

"Who are the other warriors?" Sokka asked eagerly.

"Toph Beifong, from the Earth Kingdom, and Aang, an Air Nomad. One of our Sun Warriors- Zuko- will be the fourth member,"- here she broke off and shot Sokka a look- "Ah, the fifth member to your team."

"Our team? Do we have a specific mission?" Katara interjected. Much to her disappointment, Ane refused to offer any more information.

"The War Council will brief you completely," she insisted, and no poking or prodding on Sokka or Katara's part could get her to open up again.

Disappointed, Katara returned her attention to their surroundings. She felt unbearably hot and exposed, but the people around her didn't seem concerned. They were in a market of some sort, with makeshift stalls lining the streets and children running in between the legs of the haggling adults.

"It's bigger than I thought it'd be," Sokka commented. Katara agreed, thinking back to their own home. By comparison, it was barely a village.

The market they walked though was crowded, but the sea parted easily to allow Ane and the visitors through. Katara could feel their stares, hot as the sun, on her and her brother as they passed. She suddenly felt very self-conscious of her green wrappings and loose hair, which stood out starkly in the sea of golden togas and braids.

Thankfully, they didn't have to endure the unwanted attention long. As they progressed deeper into the stone city, the crowd thinned until their only company was a few ornately wrapped men and women, hurrying from grand buildings to even grander buildings, heads bent. They were so absorbed in their work they spared no one else a glance, not even the newcomers.

Soon they'd reached a huge building, carved with gold and pointed towards the sun at the top. Even by the city's standards, it was extravagantly decorated. Katara felt dwarfed in size and importance standing next to it.

"This is the Main Temple," Ane said softly. Even she seemed quieted somewhat in the building's shadow.

"Your War Council meets in a temple?" Sokka asked incredulously. "That's stu- ouch! Katara!"

"What is more important in war than the blessing of the gods?" Ane challenged, glaring at Sokka. "In you go. _Be respectful._ "

"Yeah, yeah," Sokka muttered, rubbing his ribs where his sister had elbowed him. Despite this, he allowed Katara to drag him forward relatively quietly. Ane didn't follow.

Once they were in, Katara knew they were in trouble. The main room was large and beautiful, but it was also empty. The sides of the room had several doors, and naturally, none had any helpful signs. Looking behind her, she was disappointed to see Ane was already gone.

"This is kind of excessive," Sokka said, eyeing the room's many alters sulkily. They lined the large marble walls by the dozens, circling around the room. Above them, the ceiling arched towards the sun, making Sokka's voice echo. In the middle of the room was a large, smoldering fire pit. It wasn't lit, but the coals still smoked heavily, making it hard to see and breathe.

"Why don't they have vents?" Katara asked, coughing and waving one hand in front of her face as they walked further into the room.

"That smoke is sacred," said a new voice. It was deep and echoed loudly around the room, making both Sokka and Katara jump. They turned to see a short, tattooed man, adorned in a tunic and covered in bangles, watching them from under heavy brows from one of the doorways.

"You're late," he chastened, still frowning. "Follow me."

* * *

The right wing of the temple was markedly smaller, though by no means run down. The priest who'd greeted them introduced himself as Shin. He was a high priest and on the war council, but he said nothing beyond that. Sokka and Katara followed him though the twisting hallways until they reached a smaller room. It held nothing but a long, oval table. Like everything else, it was made of stone. Around the table sat several warriors; the foreign ones were easy to pick out due to their clothing and hair styles, but the others were mysteries to Katara.

"Katara and Sokka, from the Swamp," Shin said flatly. Katara winced; she hated to have made such a poor impression so early on.

"Take a seat," said the man at the end of the table, gesturing to the empty one to his left. There was no other seat open, but the man took this in stride well. "You'll have to forgive us, we didn't realize there'd be two of you," he said gracefully. As he spoke, one of the other men at the table jumped up and hurried from the room. He returned later with a second chair, which he squished next to Katara's seat awkwardly.

"Thank you," Katara said, relieved to find someone who didn't immediately distrust her. As she and Sokka sat, the silence in the room broke.

"As you were saying, General," someone prompted.

"Yes," the man at the end of the table said. "But first, let's catch up our newcomers, shall we?" Katara shifted uneasily at his words, thinking perhaps she'd been too hasty in her judgment. It seemed the General's generosity would be its own punishment.

"I am General Akio," he said with a smile. "You've met Shin, of course. He's a high priest here, as are they-" here he broke off to point at the other three adorned men around the table, all covered in bangles and white tattoos- "they," he added, pointing to the remaining members, "are the other warriors who will be on your team."

He didn't introduce each warrior specifically, maybe assuming they'd get to know each other personally, but Katara could figure out who was who easily enough. The bald boy with the blue tattoos was clearly Aang, the Air Nomad. He seemed quick enough to forgive their tardiness, even waving at them from across the table cheerfully.

Next to him sat a girl covered faintly in dirt, with gray eyes that were focused on neither Sokka nor Katara, but instead roamed the room aimlessly. This had to be Toph, the earth bender. With a jolt, Katara realized she was blind. As soon as she'd made the connection, Toph's eyes snapped to Katara, a smirk on her face. Unnerved, Katara's gaze moved on.

This, of course, made the last person Zuko, the Sun Warrior. He, like the General, was relatively unadorned, wearing nothing but two bangles and a red tunic. One side of his face was marred by a horrible scar. As if he could feel her stare, Zuko turned his face away, hiding the mark with a scowl. Unlike Aang, he didn't fidget. He was so still he almost might have been carved from the stone of his city.

"…so, the war is all about the dragons," the General was saying. Obediently, Katara redirected her attention to him. "This is where you come in. The hunters have killed all but two of the creatures we protect. They will stop at nothing, and with each victory, we grow weaker. Our warriors could beat them in a fair fight, make no mistake, but there is nothing fair about the situation. Our enemy is composed of smugglers, who act almost individually. Their only victory is in death," he spat.

He was a good speaker. As he carried on, Katara could feel herself getting drawn in, sympathetic to the loss of these people.

"What we need is a diverse team to catch them off guard and nip the flower in the bud, so to speak," General Akio continued. "As I'm sure you've guessed by this point, that's you. Your target is who they call the Dragon of the West. Take him out, and you will save us. Believe me; your nations will have our gratitude."

He waited for a minute, to see if there were any questions or comments, but no one spoke. Looking disappointed, he stood.

"Shin will show you all to your rooms. You'll be staying in this temple, in accordance to our customs. May the gods be with you," he finished, bowing to them. "Forgive me for my exit; I'm afraid I have matters to attend to." Then he was gone, and Shin was ushering them out.

* * *

The next morning, Aang was at Sokka and Katara's door bright and early to make sure they were awake.

"Morning," he said cheerfully, balanced crisscross-applesauce on top of a sphere of air. "We're all heading out to the west wing balcony. Are you guys gonna need any help finding it? You missed the tour yesterday."

Before Sokka could shoo Aang away, Katara gratefully broke in.

"Thank you, Aang, that would be wonderful," she said, making her bed quickly. "We'll be right out."

"No problem," Aang beamed. "I'll wait for you out in the hallway."

"We don't need his help," Sokka grumbled, tossing his pillow on his messy bed carelessly. "I could've found it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Sokka. We're a team," Katara said. Remembering the girls she'd seen yesterday, she pulled her hair back into a braid. "Besides, Aang was the only one yesterday who looked happy to see us. It'd be pointless to be rude."

Before Sokka could protest further, she left and joined Aang. After a moment, the sleepy Sokka joined them, pulling back his hair into a wolf tail half-heartedly. They left and rejoined the others for training, Aang chatting cheerfully all the way. As they walked, Katara resolved to make up for their tardiness and get the others to like her before the day was up.

* * *

At dinner that night, Katara was no closer to achieving her goal than she'd been that morning. Training had been a disaster. Convinced they needed stealth on their side, the General had forced them to start out with hand-to-hand combat. It seemed everyone, even Sokka, had been prepared for that except for Katara.

Zuko, a natural warrior, was as good at fighting without bending as he was with. Sokka, of course, only fought without bending anyway, and Aang was light enough on his feet to not make a fool of himself. Toph didn't actually give up her bending, but shifted the earth beneath her opponents and fought dirty in such a subtle way no one noticed until they were flat on their back. The General pretended not to notice, reasoning that she was blind and therefore targeting was unlikely.

Katara, by contrast, was a disaster. Her muscles weren't trained to throw punches or do pull-ups, and she had no vines and swamp water to hide in out on the hot stone terrace. This disadvantage made her choppy and she worked poorly with the rest of the team. Sokka and Aang politely pretended not to notice, but Toph and Zuko did not. By the time they quit, their irritation was clear.

"Well done today," the General told them generously as he passed out dinner. "I can tell you all worked hard. Same time tomorrow- eat up."

Now the group was alone, camped around a small fire (courteously of Zuko) under the quickly darkening sky. Dinner was good, but Katara's disappointment made it tasteless. Around the fire, Sokka and Aang made awkward small talk, with Toph throwing in her opinion occasionally, but otherwise the whole affair was tense and near silent.

One by one, each warrior bid the others goodnight and crawled back to their rooms, sore and tired. Eventually it was only Zuko and Katara left.

"Well," Katara muttered, standing. "Goodn-"

"No," said Zuko, making up his mind about something. He stood as well, his brows furrowed in thought. "You need more work."

"Excuse me?"

"You need to stay and train. We'll never be able to take out the Hunters if you can't even hit your brother."

"Look, I know I wasn't very good-"

"You were awful," Zuko interrupted, then paused guiltily. "I don't know how you fight back in the Swamp, but we fight differently here. You're at a disadvantage." He amended, nice enough not to mention that Sokka had managed well enough.

"I know," Katara sighed, too tired to argue properly. "But I'm exhausted, Zuko. I can't train anymore."

At this, Zuko's tone turned angry. "This is my home we're protecting," he snapped. "You can work a little longer."

Katara startled, an angry retort on the tip of her tongue. Then her mind caught up. Hadn't she been telling Sokka earlier that they all needed to work together? Besides, he had a point. Wouldn't she say the same, if their positions were reversed? She wanted to help, not hinder, and one-on-one training might help her. It certainly couldn't make her any worse.

"Fine," she said finally. "But only for a little while."

"Good," Zuko nodded, anger subsiding. He walked briskly back out to the middle of the terrace, somehow still energized after such a hard day. "Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me."

"Where?"

"Anywhere. If you can land a solid hit, you can go to bed."

And thus began the extended training.

* * *

A few days later, Katara was beyond exhausted. Her muscles ached from training day and night, and it seemed ever day General Akio had some new challenge for them. It never seemed to end.

Despite this, she could admit without any false modesty that she was getting better. Slowly, granted, but still. She had yet to land a hit on Zuko, relying on his own eventual exhaustion to finally relieve her, but she'd gotten close. She could do it, she knew she could.

It was with this mentality she went into night training a few nights after her arrival.

It started the same as always. Zuko challenged her to land a hit, she attempted, and failed, and attempted, and failed, and so on.

He always seemed to be one step ahead of her. In the middle of their training session that night, the sky opened up and rain poured down. In surprise, both paused their fighting. While he was distracted, Katara circled around him and slugged him as hard as she could in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" He yelped, attention back on Katara. When he realized what she'd done, a slow smile spread across his face. It was the first time she'd seen him smile.

"Maybe it'll blow over," Zuko suggested, yelling to be heard over the rain. They duo hurried to the overhang by the door, taking shelter under it.

"That was cheating," Zuko scolded, though his smile betrayed his pride. One of his earlier lessons had been to use the environment as a weapon. As he spoke, Katara pulled the water off of them and flung it back onto the terrace.

"Don't I get to go to bed now? I hit you."

"Sure, if you really want to."

Neither left. After a few moments of watching the rain, Katara sat down, leaning against the walls. After a brief hesitation, Zuko joined her.

"You are getting better," he admitted.

Katara allowed herself a smile of her own. "I know."

"The others have noticed."

"Have they?" Katara asked, surprised. "I thought they didn't like me very much."

"Aang likes everyone," Zuko dismissed. "And Toph respects hard work."

"Do you know them well?"

"They don't trust me, so not really, but I know of them. I helped Akio decide who would be on the team," Zuko answered flatly.

Katara was surprised. "Why wouldn't they trust you? You said yourself they respect hard workers."

"I said Toph respects hard workers," Zuko corrected. "But it doesn't matter. No one trusts me. I'm used to it."

"Zuko," Katara began hesitantly. "Your scar really isn't that noticeable to people who know you."

"No, maybe it isn't to you," Zuko said dryly. Despite his tone, Katara could tell she was walking on dangerous ground. "But it's a mark of dishonor for me."

Katara swallowed her questions and sat silently, waiting for him to continue.

"When Sun Warriors are born, they're sent to meet the dragons. If the dragons don't kill you, you become a warrior." Seeing Katara's horrified look, he quickly added, "Don't worry, it doesn't happen often. Hardly ever. But this was enough to convince people I don't really deserve to be a warrior." He turned his face as he finished so that his scar was hidden.

"I'm not a warrior at all," Katara confessed after a moment. Zuko turned back to her in shock.

"What? But you're a-"

"A waterbender, yeah. In the Swamp, waterbending women are mages, not fighters. But I'm the best bender, and when my people got your message, they were going to say no. I destroyed our reply and wrote my own, saying we'd help." She paused for a moment, and then dove ahead. "I snuck away because I was convinced _I_ could help. Sokka held me up and tried to talk me out of it, but eventually he decided if he couldn't dissuade me then he'd come with me."

She could see Zuko putting all the pieces together, from their late arrival to her fighting abilities. "Won't they notice you're gone?"

"Maybe," Katara shrugged, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. "Woman warriors are disgraceful. I'm sure they know and would rather I stay gone."

"I know that feeling."

"You're a woman warrior?" Katara teased, trying to break the tension. Zuko's face flushed red.

"You know what I mean," he grumbled, but he'd relaxed since she'd shared her secret. Privately, she thought it might've done him some good to tell his story, too.

They stayed out, talking late into the night and watching the rain. Katara went to bed feeling better than she'd felt in a long time.

* * *

Despite having been up so late the night before, Katara woke early. That day happened to be a temple day for the Sun Warriors, so they had a day off from training. Getting up, Katara made her bed and got dressed quickly, sparing an envious glance at her still-sleeping brother. It seemed the constant early mornings had not robbed him of the ability to sleep in.

Leaving the room, Katara wandered the halls aimlessly until habit took her out onto the terrace. It was empty, of course, and Katara sat on the edge and watched the sun rise quietly over the treetops that spread across the surrounding hills. The sunrise was beautiful, casting everything in a faint yellow glow that made the forest seem warm and alive. It was an altogether different beauty than Katara was used to, but beautiful all the same. The city behind her was silent, keeping time still for the waterbender.

As she sat, Katara tried to decide how she should spend her day off. Exploring the city seemed unlikely; she didn't really understand what a "temple day" was, and was worried she might carelessly disrupt the rituals. She could go wake up her brother, but a break from his awful jokes and non-stop talking was just as welcome. Zuko came to mind- he was probably up- but she dismissed that as well. He was likely worshipping with his people.

That left Aang or Toph, neither of whom she knew well. With a sigh, Katara climbed to her feet. Maybe she could just spend the day by herself. The more she mulled this idea over, the more appealing it became. She could explore- this forest had to have some water somewhere, and it would feel so good to get out of the burning sun for a while.

"Going somewhere, sweetness?" Asked Toph, making Katara jump. Turning, she saw the earthbender in the doorway, smirking.

"Oh. Hello, Toph," Katara said unenthusiastically. She winced at her tone; she hadn't meant to sound so unwelcoming.

If it bothered Toph, she didn't show it. Instead she ambled over to stand next to Katara. She barely came up to Katara's shoulders, and the waterbender had to bite back a laugh. There was something funny about such a brusque girl being so small.

As if she'd read Katara's mind, the earthbender frowned and stomped one foot. The earth grew beneath her, so she stood on a pedestal and gained a few feet in height.

"Can you read minds?" Katara asked, thinking back to their first meeting.

"No," Toph laughed, good mood restored. "But my feet can, in a way."

"What?"

"I can feel people through the stone this whole city is made of. Where they are, what they're doing, even their pulse. It's how I use my earthbending to see."

"Oh," Katara said. It made sense now that she'd been allowed to use her bending in training. Switching tracks, she asked, "Are you always up this early?"

"No," Toph frowned again. "There are too many people stomping around in those temples. It woke me up."

"Well," Katara said awkwardly, after a moment of silence. "I've got to go, so I guess I'll see-"

"Where are you going?" Toph interrupted curiously.

"I'm going to explore the forest."

"Okay," Toph nodded. "I'll come."

"What?" Katara asked, aghast. "No, that's not what-"

"C'mon, sweetness," Toph interrupted again, jumping off the terrace and landing in the soft dirt below. When Katara didn't follow immediately she added, "You coming or what?" Then, without waiting for an answer, she disappeared into the surrounding trees. After another moment's hesitation, Katara followed.

* * *

Soon, Katara had to admit she was glad Toph had invited herself along. Using her feet, she steered them away from the more dangerous forest animals and reassured the waterbender she knew the way back, despite the trees all looking the same to Katara.

"You know, you surprised me," Toph said as they clambered over a particularly large root that jutted from the ground.

"I did?"

"Yeah. You suck at fighting-" ignoring Katara's indignant spluttering, she carried on, "-but lately you suck less. I can respect that, Sugar Queen." Katara was silent for a moment, not sure if she wanted the half-compliment or not.

"Thanks," she said finally. "I think."

As they slid down the root and back onto solid ground, Katara was delighted to see they'd reached a little piece of swamp in the large forest. They were in a small clearing, covered from the sky by long overreaching tree branches that made up the thick canopy above them. From the branches hung moss and algae, all over a small pond (also covered in algae) surrounded by thick, goopy mud.

"A mini swamp!" Katara cried, ecstatically hurrying down to the water's edge and sinking her feet into the mud. "Oh, I've missed that feeling. The Sun City is too hot," she told a disgusted-looking Toph, who was picking her way towards Katara hesitantly.

"Why is it so… shifty?" Toph grumbled, stumbling slightly through the mud. "Earth's supposed to be solid," she complained.

"Don't tell me you've never seen mud before," Katara rolled her eyes. "You're an earthbender."

"My parents don't really keep _mud-_ " she said the word like it was a horrible disease "-in their estate."

"Well, it's just wet earth," Katara said. "Doesn't it feel good on your feet?"

Toph hesitated, and then nodded grudgingly. "I suppose- hey! I can bend it!"

Katara burst into laughter at Toph's awestruck expression as an uneven, lumpy sphere of mud the size of her fist rose into the air in front of Toph. She stopped laughing when it hit her square in the face. Across from her, Toph cackled.

"Never mind," she smirked. "Mud's _awesome._ "

Using both hands, Katara wiped the mud from her face. Despite the way it stuck to her fingers and dripped down her neck, she couldn't be mad. She felt like she'd found a piece of home.

Ignoring Toph, who was making a small pile of mud balls, Katara let herself fall into the pond. The murky water wasn't quite as nice as at home, but it was good enough for Katara. Opening her eyes underwater, she watched the mud swirl up from the bottom, interrupted by the jerking motion of small fish as they fled from the newcomer. Rising back to the surface, Katara pushed the wet hair back from her face, feeling the algae that stuck to her hair but not caring.

"Katara?" Toph called hesitantly. "Where did you go?"

"I'm in the pond," Katara said, noticing guiltily Toph looked a little panicked, though she tried to hide it. She tried to reach the muddy floor with her toes, so Toph could "see" her again, but the water was too deep.

"Oh. Okay," Toph said, her relief masked by fake irritation. "You can't die before we kick butt."

"Want to join me?" Katara asked, ignoring Toph's comment.

"In the _water?_ Are you crazy?" Toph asked shrilly.

"You were saying the same thing about mud a minute ago," Katara said pointedly.

"That's different. I can't swim," Toph said stubbornly.

"I could teach you," Katara offered, but Toph was determined. Eventually she compromised by sitting on the muddy bank and sticking her calloused feet in the water, but she would budge no further.

Katara, deciding that was good enough, left Toph to her own devices and flipped onto her back, bending large arcs of water above her as she floated. She enjoyed the way the muddy water caught the sunlight that filtered down through the leaves above them, and could feel the water leeching the tension from her sore muscles.

"Okay, this is kind of nice," Toph admitted after a while, splashing the water with her feet in lazy, slow kicks. By this point, she was covered in mud, but she either didn't notice or no longer cared. "When I go home, I'm gonna make my parents put in a mud pit."

Katara gave a snort of laughter and said, "I'm sure they'll love that." She'd already guessed, based on Toph's clothing and the earlier use of the word "estate", what kind of family Toph came from.

"Is that what you're gonna do? When this is all over, I mean," Toph said suddenly, surprising Katara. Toph hadn't struck her as the kind to talk about future plans.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you gonna go back to the swamp?"

Katara was quiet at the question, mulling it over. She didn't suppose she could go home, having disgraced her family by going to war. Besides, she had no desire to be a mage, even if she did go home.

"I don't think so," she said finally. The words left her with a pang of sadness, but they felt right. "Will you?"

Toph shrugged. "I suppose," she said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. "Where else is a blind girl gonna go?"

"You don't strike me as the kind to let that stop you," Katara ventured. "You didn't let it stop you from learning to earthbend."

Toph fell silent at that, her pale eyes fixed nothing. Katara couldn't tell what she was thinking and, uncharacteristically, Toph didn't volunteer that information.

"Maybe," the earthbender said finally. "Aang wants to travel, but he's a nomad. That's normal, I'd bet."

"Probably," Katara agreed. "But there's no reason an earthbender couldn't travel, too."

Toph smiled, looking back to Katara. "You're not so bad, Sweetness."

"I wish I could say the same," Katara said with a long-suffering sigh. Toph's answering mud ball barely missed her.

* * *

It was dark by the time they returned. Even Katara had to admit the trek home in the failing light had been tiring- Toph had asked to ride on Katara's back multiple times, trying to play the "small and blind" card, but Katara had refused. Without Toph's feet planted firmly on the ground, they would've been lost several times over.

When they finally reached the Main Temple, Katara was reaching the end of her patience. Toph had done nothing but complain the whole way back. Their earlier compatibility had vanished.

"Finally!" Toph cried when she felt the temple up ahead. "I thought I'd be stuck with you forever!"

"You haven't been so charming, yourself," Katara snapped. Toph stuck out her tongue in Katara's direction, and Katara returned the gesture, indulging herself in a little childishness since Toph couldn't see her, anyway.

"Oh yeah?" Toph challenged. "Good luck getting in without me!" Using a rock to catapult her onto the terrace, she stomped her foot once, tearing a hole in the rock wall. A moment later, both she and the hole were gone.

Katara had also reached the terrace, but found to her horror she couldn't reach it and there were no stairs. It took her several tries and undignified jumps before she was able to catch her fingers on the lip of the balcony. Using all of her strength, she pulled herself up, collapsing onto the rough stone and then pulling herself to her feet.

Exhausted, she walked slowly to the door and tried to open it. To her horror, it was locked.

"Toph," she growled. Then, louder: "Toph! Let me in!" She yelled, banging on the door with both fists. The door remained stubbornly locked shut. "Agh!" She cried at no one in frustration. Turning, she dropped back to the ground and began the long walk around, trying to find a way in.

"You look like you've had a long day," commented a familiar voice. Looking up, Katara saw her yelling had drawn Zuko out onto one of the smaller balconies, presumably the one that connected to his room. The edge of the balcony was just above her head, and he leaned against it, smiling down at her.

"Why are you so covered in algae?" He added, picking up a piece of algae from the top of her head and flinging it away.

"I went exploring," Katara admitted, pulling algae out of her hair as well. She'd forgotten it was there. "Toph went with me, but she abandoned me when we got back," she finished, a scowl crossing her face briefly. Zuko laughed.

"Sorry," he said, seeing her expression. "It's hard to take you seriously when you're covered in that stuff." Despite his words, the corners of his mouth still twitched up into a smile.

"I'm sure," Katara sighed, giving up on pulling all the algae out. "Could you let me in? The terrace door's locked."

"Somehow, I don't think I want to cross Toph."

"Zuko!"

The Sun Warrior was laughing openly now, his gold circlets glinting in the moonlight. He must have only just returned from the temples, because he was still wearing what Katara assumed was a sun warrior's formal gear. He wasn't wearing his toga, instead leaving his chest bare except for a wide gold collar, inlaid with jewels. Each bicep was still circled with a single bangle, and the unmarred side of his face was painted with the red stripes she'd seen on the other warriors.

He managed to contain his laughter at length, but still made no move to help her. He was amused, she could see, and it irritated her.

"You're almost as unhelpful as Toph," she grumbled.

"I suppose I could pull you up," Zuko thought aloud, eyes still glinting with humor. "In return for a favor."

"What favor?" Katara asked warily.

"Tomorrow morning I have to face the dragons again," Zuko said. His light tone sounded somewhat forced, but Katara pretended not to notice to spare his pride. "Come with me."

"With you?" Katara echoed, eyebrows arching in surprise. "But I'm not a sun warrior."

"You don't have to go to the top with me," Zuko hurried to assure her. "Just go with me to the temple. It'll get you out of morning training- the General said I could take a friend."

"I doubt he meant me," Katara replied doubtfully, taking a step back and crossing her arms across her chest. "There's not another Sun Warrior who could go with you?"

"I'm sure there is," Zuko said dismissively. "But there isn't another one I _want_ to go with me. If I have to go again, I'd rather take an actual friend. Besides, it's his fault for not specifying."

Katara, warmed by the thought he considered her a friend, finally caved. "Well," she sighed, "I suppose I can't miss the chance to escape some of Akio's training."

Zuko wasn't a man to overly express his joy, but his smile spoke measures enough. Leaning over the edge, he grabbed Katara's outstretched arms and heaved her up. With the extra boost, she was able to find purchase against the rock and pull herself onto the little balcony- although not without some difficulty.

"You can't mean to sleep there," Zuko said from above her. He still stood, barely looking winded. ( _Naturally,_ she thought irritably, _he's been in a temple all day._ I've _been running off through the forest and fighting Toph._ ) Katara, by contrast, had collapsed on the floor and lay on her back, breathing hard. She couldn't tell if Zuko was more exasperated or amused.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea for you to miss training tomorrow," Zuko commented in his dry way.

"Stuff it, Zuko," Katara grumbled, getting back on her feet slowly.

"No thank you?"

"Thank you."

"Now, see, that didn't sound sincere," Zuko added, still leaning casually against the balcony railing. Katara couldn't help but notice that he seemed perfectly in his element when he was being antagonistic and annoying.

"I sincerely mean it when I tell you to stuff it," she retorted. "What time do I meet you tomorrow?"

"Dawn," Zuko smirked, perhaps anticipating how his answer would be received.

"It's always dawn with you people, isn't it?" Katara complained. She chose not to mention that she'd woken up early that day, against her best efforts. Misery loved company, and if no one would oblige her, she'd just be plenty unhappy and stubborn all by herself, thank you very much.

"You'd better get to bed," Zuko added calmly. "You've got an early morning tomorrow."

He was teasing her, she knew, and trying to get a reaction, and she was determined not to give him another one. Turning on her heel, she left, taking care not to examine his room as she passed through it to reach the hallway. Friends they may be, but it felt like invading his privacy, and he _had_ just done her a favor.

When she reached the room she shared with Sokka, she was surprised to see him still up. He was sitting on her bed, arms crossed and frowning. He was the very picture of 'upset', and Katara didn't have to wait long to find out why.

"Where have you been all day?" He demanded, the moment she entered the room.

"Out with Toph," she replied, making her way to her bed and pulling off her shoes as she talked. She was tired, and didn't much feel like arguing with her brother on top of it all.

"I've been worried sick," Sokka spat angrily. "You might've at least waited until I woke up!"

Guilt pierced Katara; she hadn't forgotten her brother had left their tribe only to protect her.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. But I was safe, really."

"Right. I'm sure you always are," he said scathingly. "Are you with Toph at night, too?"

"What?" Katara asked. Even as her eyebrows arched in confusion, her heart sunk towards her stomach. She had a bad feeling she knew where this was going.

"I've noticed, you know," her brother carried on. "How late you come back, and how tired you've been. Is that Toph's fault, too?"

"None of it's 'Toph's fault'," Katara said, knowing very well how little that would placate Sokka, but not knowing what else to say. "I left the temple on my own, she just tagged along. And I've been training at night; you know I'm not a real warrior. I needed extra help."

Sokka's face fell. The sudden contrast to his anger stunned Katara, and she ran her words back through her mind, trying to catch what she'd said wrong.

"You could have asked _me_ for help," Sokka ground out. His tone was still angry, but his sister could see how crestfallen he was. "I know I'm not a bender, but-"

"It's not like that," Katara interrupted. "Zuko offered to give me extra lessons, that's all. If I'd thought of them first, of course I would have asked you." As she spoke, Sokka's face fell back into a look of real fury.

"Zuko," he echoed, voice scarily flat. "Zuko the Sun Warrior?"

"Do you know another Zuko?" Katara asked, exasperated. This, she thought, Sokka didn't get to be angry about. Why did it matter who was giving her lessons, as long as he understood why he himself wasn't?

"I don't want you spending time with him," Sokka said sharply. "I don't trust him. He's too quiet, and any firebender with a burn scar can't be too popular with his own people- maybe for good reason. He's moody, Katara, and volatile."

"He's not," Katara argued, aghast. Quiet, maybe, but the man she'd grown to be friends with was not volatile, and she didn't think it was fair of Sokka to bring up his scar without knowing the story behind it. She found herself growing angry in her defense. "He's helped me out a lot. You said you noticed how tired I've been, but have you noticed how good my fighting's got? He's not a bad guy."

"You trust too easily," Sokka snapped.

"You don't trust at all!"

"At least I didn't volunteer us to some strange army in the hopes of helping people I didn't know, and knowing nothing about their battles!" Sokka cried it like it was a trump card, and then immediately paled, as if he'd said too much. Katara didn't at first understand why, but it slowly dawned on her, and she felt her anger fade to a stunned amazement.

"You regret coming here? You don't support their cause?" She asked. Her voice sounded odd and thin, even to her own ears.

"I…" Sokka sighed heavily, the anger drained from is body in one long, tired exhale. "Doesn't it seem too easy to you? We capture one man, and suddenly all of their problems are solved? Even if it is an easy solution, why would they need a 'diverse team' for that? Akio leads an army, Katara. Between all of their Sun Warriors, they shouldn't have needed outside help at all."

Katara sat quietly, dumbstruck. She hadn't thought of that. Loyalty to Zuko made her want to defend the Sun City, but logic kept her mouth firmly shut. Her brother had a point.

"I'm not trying to blame you," Sokka said quietly. He didn't meet Katara's eyes, but looked instead at the floor. "But our people aren't heartless. Did you ever wonder why they refused to help?"

At this, Katara stirred briefly. "Dad said our tribe wasn't big enough to help Akio," she offered.

"They only asked for one warrior."

Katara had no answer to that and, oh, how stupid she felt. She could see now that in her desperation to help someone and escape the constricting social roles of her home she'd been careless, and her eagerness to fight had taken priority over common sense.

"Let's make a deal," Katara said finally. "I'll trust your judgment on Akio, but you have to trust me about Zuko."

"Katara-"

"No, Sokka," she interrupted. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, and I'll make it up to you, I promise. But you can't take it out on Zuko."

For a long moment her brother was quiet. Then, finally, he said, "Okay. But if he sticks one toe out of line, he won't get another chance."

"Thank you," she sighed in relief, and went to her brother and hugged him. She swore to herself that night, after Sokka had fallen asleep, that she would never let him carry the stress again alone. If she had to mother him, she would; he'd given up too much for her already for her to not try and give him the world.

* * *

The next morning, Katara met Zuko outside the temple doors as dawn was peaking over the horizon.

"You're still wearing all that?" She asked, nodding to his ceremonial outfit.

"It's a sign of respect," he replied, touching the golden jewelry a little nervously. "You always wear it when you see the dragons."

"Do you always see them before a battle?" Katara asked as they headed off down the road. Even though it was early, a few civilians were already out and about, setting up shop in the market. Since Katara and her friends were old news, the waterbender was pleased to note that no one gave her a second glance or gawked at all.

"No," Zuko admitted, a little shortly. "I'm a special case, in Akio's eyes."

"Oh," Katara said awkwardly. She knew he meant his scar, but she wasn't sure how to broach the subject now that Akio was involved. Her conversation with Sokka still rested heavily in her memory.

Zuko, noting her silence, sighed and seemed to decide he'd been too abrupt. "This battle is a do-over for me," he added uncomfortably. Katara understood what he didn't say aloud; failure would mean he'd certainly lose was little credibility his title as a warrior held already, if they didn't strip him of the position entirely.

"Does Akio always decide when Sun Warriors go to see the dragons?" She asked, figuring that would be a less delicate subject.

"No, normally the priests advise for or against it. But Akio is the General, and he's my uncle. If he authorizes me to go, then I trust him when he says I need to," Zuko explained. Katara, on the other hand, felt her heart sink. If Akio was being dishonest about something, as Sokka seemed to suspect, the warrior who needed approval to gain respect and trusted the general above all else seemed the perfect pawn.

"It doesn't worry you that he'd send you off to see dragons with no explanation?" Katara hedged. If Zuko found her question odd, he didn't say so.

"He doesn't tell me much," Zuko said, his tone short again, and Katara guessed this particular detail was more a result of Zuko's "dishonor" than anything the warrior had actually said or done.

They walked in silence a little while longer, until Katara noticed they seemed to be leaving the city behind. The awakening main street had been traded for a winding set of narrow, clean roads that wound through the trees to no apparent destination.

"Is it much further?" Katara asked.

"Just beyond those trees," Zuko answered. He sounded nervous, which made sense if they were close… except Katara didn't see how they could be. She saw nothing except the city behind them and the trees ahead- certainly she saw nothing that looked as if it might house a dragon.

But as they walked on, the trees thinned until Katara was stunned to see two great stone cliffs, hidden by trees but bare at the top and connected by a thin bridge. Matching up to the flattened, paved top was a great set of wide stairs. If Katara hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she never would have believed such a large structure could almost on top of the city, and still be out of sight. In the distance, she could hear the crash of waves, and realized they were at the sea.

"The vegetation is to provide privacy," Zuko explained, seeing her awestruck look. Then he turned and walked over to a large, ornate torch erected by the stairway. Carefully, he pulled a small flame from the top and cradled it in his hands.

"What's that?"

"The eternal flame," Zuko answered. His hands were steady, but his voice was too high and betrayed his nerves. "It's the first fire ever given to us by dragons. Normally it's stored away in a temple for safekeeping, but before a battle we bring it out as a show of faith to the dragons. If I bring the flame to the top, the dragons will come out and see me."

"That's all? Just bring them fire?"

"Well, your first time someone has to perform a firebending form, but technically this isn't my first time," he clarified. Katara was beginning to realize he explained the customs not to help her understand- although that was a bonus- but to calm his own nerves by cementing his own customs in the forefront of his mind.

"Good luck," she said, uneasy for him. "I suppose I can't go to the top with you?"

Zuko looked surprised. "No, you're a warrior, so you could. I just assumed you wouldn't want to. Most people don't want to get to close to a dragon."

"Well, I'm going with you," Katara said firmly, trying to ignore the twisting nerves in her stomach. She was a healer as well as a fighter, and if something went wrong, she'd be useless so far from the top. _Besides,_ she reasoned, _the sea is just beyond those cliffs. It's not like I'm helpless._

Zuko didn't try to argue with her. He just nodded and started climbing the stairs, and Katara fell into step next to him. Unlike their walk there, this time both were silent, lost in their own trepidation. Too soon, it seemed, they were only steps away from the dragons' den.

"You can't come all the way up," Zuko said, stopping suddenly. "Firebenders only."

"Okay," Katara nodded, feeling ashamed of the relief that uncoiled through her at the words. "Good luck," she added. She wanted to give him a hug, but the fire in his hands stopped her, so instead she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "I'll be waiting right here when you're done."

Zuko nodded, looking baffled by the gesture, but didn't say anything else. Turning, he crossed the last few steps and walked out onto the bridge and knelt, fire outstretched humbly before him. Katara fell to her knees as the entire structure rumbled, gripping the rough stone stairs desperately for support. For a moment she lost sight of Zuko, and shaking stone was all that filled her vision.

When she managed to catch her balance again, she looked up in time to see a long coil of red scales flash past, heat radiating from them even at a distance. Her heart sped up, pounding painfully against her ribcage. The dragon was gigantic, long and slender like a snake, and graceful with power. He coiled around the bridge, which suddenly seemed weak and too thin, the way a sea serpent might around a ship about to fall victim to the waves. His beautiful red scales stood out firmly against the stones.

On the other side the red scales faded to blue, and after a moment Katara realized in horror she was looking at not one dragon, but two, as graceful as they were deadly. She was glad she still knelt where she'd fallen, so she made as small a target as possible.

Between the two dragons knelt Zuko, who hadn't moved an inch. Neither his balance nor his bravery seemed to have failed him; the flame still burned brightly between his outstretched hands. He looked tiny next to the dragons.

Katara wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next, but suddenly both dragons seemed to reach a consensus about something, because suddenly they both were tilting their heads back and breathing fire into the air. For a horrible moment she thought they'd killed Zuko, and she jerked to her feet almost before she know what she was doing, but then she realized the fire didn't directly cross the bridge, but instead funneled around it.

It wasn't red, like normal fire, or even blue or white; it was all the colors of the rainbow and more, swirled together in a beautiful dance that slayed across the blue sky brightly. It was dangerous and destructive. It was awe-inspiring and beautiful. Katara could see in their dance what the Sun Warriors protected so fiercely, and wished Sokka were there to see it, too.

Slowly the colors faded and the dragons calmed, though they didn't go back into their caves. Katara was relieved to see that Zuko looked unhurt, if not a little pale. She understood why when the blue dragon suddenly and without warning turned its large head towards her.

"Oh," she squeaked, staring into narrow, dark eyes that glittered with intelligence. She could feel the dragon's hot breath breezing over her body and felt herself begin to sweat. By her sides, she clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

The dragon doubled back, just as quickly as it had come, and then darted down to the stairs, this time behind Katara. It's eyes still on her, it moved forward slowly, forcing Katara to the top so she joined Zuko on the bridge. _Herding me,_ she realized. Once she was at the top, the dragon returned to its former spot. Both watched her now, expectantly, not moving.

Besides her, Zuko was very still, scared for her now as much as for himself. "Waterbend," he hissed from the corner of his mouth.

"What?" She asked, her voice hysterically high. "But they expect firebending!"

" _Waterbend_ ," Zuko ordered firmly. "They're waiting for you to prove yourself." In his worry, he was harsh, and out of habit Katara summoned water from the sea and began to bend.

She felt better, once the water was in her power. This was familiar, and liquid courage coursed through her even as the water danced around her.

The sun, still low in the sky, shone through the arcing water and flashed light across the stone in graceful curves and twists. She bent until her arms shook with exhaustion and her breath came in heavy gasps. Letting the water drop into a low sphere, she held it between her hands, head bent forward in what she hoped was a respectful stance.

For a long moment, there was silence. Then the stone beneath her rumbled again, and Katara stumbled despite herself, fear coursing through her as the dragons flashed by, red and blue melting together in speed and grace.

Then, as suddenly as they'd come, they were gone. Katara and Zuko were alone once more, victorious between the cliffs with the rising sun casting a halo around them. Zuko was looking at her with mixed disbelief, pride, and relief in his eyes.

Then he was hugging her, and she held him as close as she could, her own relief pouring through her in waves. "What just happened?" She mumbled into his shoulder.

"They found you worthy," Zuko said simply, gripping her like a lifeline. "You really are a warrior."

* * *

On the walk back, Zuko explained what had happened to her the best he could. Non-firebenders had met the dragons before, according to him, but never with good results. It was entirely unadvisable, and on the steps, they shouldn't have noticed her at all. They'd signaled her out, choosing her as much as approving of her.

For his part, Zuko seemed in much higher spirits. It seemed his scar was not the mark of shame he'd always believed it to be, otherwise the dragons wouldn't have let him leave a second time. The opinion of others mattered less under the opinion of the dragons.

"But why did they attack when you were a baby?" Katara had asked.

"It must have been a blunder on Akio's part," Zuko said. "He's the one who first took me to see them, or so Shin tells me." Katara tried not to feel uneasy at the words.

They arrived back at the main temple around midday, and parted ways. Zuko disappeared to talk to Akio, and Katara went back to her room, and feel into a deep sleep. She slept all the way through to the next morning, without waking once, and met the next morning feeling like a new person. She was a warrior, made one by dragons- it seemed nothing else mattered.

* * *

 **Part II**

* * *

The next morning, Akio led them back to their original conference room instead of to the terrace where they'd been training. This time, it was only them and Akio. Shin and the other priests were nowhere to be seen.

"You're ready," he said, without any preamble, his eyes bright. "Tonight you take the Dragon of the West, and you save our dragons and our city."

At his words, the atmosphere in the room charged with excitement. Everyone had their full attention devoted to Akio.

"I've had trackers trying to pin down his position for days," Akio continued, unscrolling a large map across the table. "He is in this area, and will be guarded," the General finished, pointing to an inlet not a day's travel from the dragons' cliffs.

"I don't care how you attack," Akio added, leaning back in his seat. "I just need it done. You will all have out eternal gratitude."

"Where do you want us to bring him when we've captured him? Back to the city?" Toph asked, ever practical.

"Oh, no," Akio said, shaking his head as if to say, _children, aren't they so cute._ "You're not to _capture_ him. Your mission is to _kill_ him."

The room fell silent again, this time for a very different reason.

"Kill him?" Aang echoed finally. He'd paled at the words, so that his complexion was almost gray. "You never told us we had to kill a man."

"I'm sure that detail was included in the invitation," Akio said thoughtfully, apparently unconcerned with their collective unease. Katara frowned- she was positive it had not been. But, looking around them room, the others seemed not to know. Suddenly, Katara realized they wouldn't. They were all chosen for the mission. None of them had seen the invitation themselves.

"If our leaders approved…" Toph said uneasily, trailing off. Looking back to Akio, Katara suddenly put the pieces together. Next to her, Sokka was stone still. Katara guessed he had done the same. The General no longer seemed a golden epitome of glory and righteous; she wondered what other lies he had told them.

"Exactly, my dear," Akio smiled at Toph. "If you don't trust me, trust your own people. They sent you here." Katara wished desperately she could remember exactly what the invitation had said, but her memory was proving unwilling to oblige.

"My people never would have been okay with murder," Aang said softly. Katara and Sokka exchanged a hopeful look. It seemed Akio didn't have everyone's blind trust.

"It's not murder my boy, it's war," Akio said cheerfully. He seemed to realize he was losing them, because he added, "if you would rather, you can bring him back to stand trial."

The team was quick to say yes, they would rather that, but Katara still felt uneasy. She didn't trust him any more than she'd trust his trial. If the Dragon of the West was brought back, he would die. Looking at Sokka, she could tell he'd reached the same conclusion. _What did I get us into?_

* * *

They were sent out into the forest at staggered times, so they'd be harder to trace (at least, according to Akio. Katara suspected he just didn't want to risk them to talking it all over amongst themselves). They were supposed to regroup by the inlet their target was camped by, and take it together while the dark hid them and weakened the Dragon's strength- apparently he was a firebender.

Katara was the last to leave, so as the sun set she was forced to watch each one of her friends be swallowed up by the forest and shadows, disappearing after their target. Akio sat beside her, and he tried to start a conversation a few times, but gave up after Katara would offer nothing more than monosyllable replies and vague shrugs.

"By the way, Katara," he called, as she got up to follow her friends. "I understand you're having some misunderstandings back home." That, at last, caught Katara's attention.

"What?" She asked, turning to face Akio.

"For what it's worth, I think you're an _excellent_ warrior," he continued sweetly, "and it seems I was able to convince your tribe of the same." As he spoke, a pulled a letter from a small pouch looped onto his belt and handed it to her.

Opening it, Katara could scarcely believe her eyes. She only skimmed it, but phases jumped out at her ( _we want you back we miss you we accept you_ ). It was everything she'd ever wanted and more.

"I don't know what to say," she said finally, hands trembling as she tucked the letter into her own pocket, to be read fully later.

"You don't have to say anything, my dear," Akio smiled, teeth glinting under the rising moon. "Just go catch me a Dragon."

* * *

Katara found the others easily enough, huddled in a tight circle by the edge of the forest. Beyond them, the ground slopped down to meet the sea where the inlet joined it. In this little corner, lights flickered around make-shift tents. Their target was hidden somewhere inside them.

"We don't need a plan," Toph was snapping when Katara joined them. "We fight, we capture, and we go home. It's easy."

"You always need a plan," Sokka cried. "You can't just go blundering in."

"Just because you can't fight doesn't mean the rest of us-" Toph began, Sokka spluttering angrily.

"I can fight!" He argued shrilly. "You've seen me fight!"

"Please," Toph rolled her eyes. "I can't 'see' anything, and even I know all you do is throw a piece of metal around."

"How is that any different from what _you_ do?" Sokka demanded.

"Enough," Zuko snapped. "Do you have a plan, Sokka?"

"Well…" Sokka shifted uncomfortably. "I have half of a working plan."

"Brilliant," Toph grumbled. "Just brilliant. He's gonna get us all killed."

"That doesn't inspire confidence," Zuko said flatly, eyeing Sokka doubtfully. "Can you get us in or not?"

"Of course," Sokka said, pride clearly hurt.

"What's your idea?" Aang asked, more politely than either of the others.

"Well, all we really need to do is drive him out of hiding," Sokka explained, sketching in the dirt as he spoke. "Toph, your job is to stop anyone from escaping by land. Katara, you have the sea. Aang, air. Between the three of you, every escape option should be covered. We let him come to us." He drew little _x_ 's in the dirt, supposedly to represent each blocked escape.

"What about me?" Zuko interjected. "I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing."

"No," Sokka smiled grimly, without humor. "You and I are going to drive him out of the camp."

* * *

Sokka gave them all ten minutes to sneak into place. This time, Katara left first. She slid down the slope and hit the sand quietly enough, waiting for a moment to make sure no one had seen. From this distance, she could see the guards moving quietly between the tents, torches in hand. Katara counted four in all, but didn't doubt there were more she couldn't see.

The torches cast long, golden circles of light across the dappled sand, and Katara darted in between the light, stilling against the sand every time a guard got too close. They never noticed her, bored beyond proper scrutiny and never sparing the sea a proper look.

When she reached the water, she dove in immediately, willing the water not to splash too loudly. The cold enveloped her immediately, raising goose bumps along her arms and legs. She hadn't counted on how cold the water would be in the middle of the night. Still, she was glad for it, because it shocked her nerves away and helped her focus.

After swimming a little further out, she bobbed to the surface, looking at the quiet camp. She couldn't see any of the others, thanks to the dark, but figured no news was better than bad news. She didn't have to wait long for the action to start.

Two dark figures darted towards the camp, soon lost in the tents. The shouts of the guards came soon after. The torches flared up, and one tent caught fire; after that, the camp dissolved into chaos. The dry rumbling of earth on earth told Katara Toph had caught a runaway, but she didn't get a chance to look. Two men had run into the ocean, one half-pulling the other.

She cut in front of them, the water making her quick. "Stop," she warned. "I don't want to hurt you, but you can't leave." She wasn't sure they'd heard over the disruption behind them, but one man collapsed in the shallow water, clutching his leg. The other man, who'd been dragging him, looked around in panic. Then, steeling himself, he lunged at Katara.

Surprised, Katara didn't move quickly enough, and he barreled into her, throwing her back into the water. Bubbles cascaded up around them as they sunk down. Using her legs, Katara kicked out wildly, luckily managing to strike him in the chest. He was shoved back, bubbles escaping his mouth as he fought for air. Kicking to the surface, he gasped for breath, struggling to relocate Katara in the murky water.

She didn't give him the chance. A thin rope of water detached from the waves and circled the man, clinching him tightly. Once she was sure he was secure, Katara kicked to the surface as well, spitting salt water from her mouth.

The man's face had gone slack with defeat once he'd realized she was a waterbender, and others had seen her display. On the shore, some of the hunters milled about, not daring to enter the sea. Behind them, Katara saw Toph had raised a rock wall, isolating their camp. They were trapped.

As gently as she could, Katara returned the beaten man to shore. He immediately returned to his injured friend's side, who was where he'd fallen, half-submerged in the cold water.

Against her better judgment, Katara followed him. The other hunters backed away as she drew closer, but the first man didn't budge. He glared up at her, kneeling by the other man defiantly. They shared the same narrow nose and eyes, though the second man's face was rounder than the first's, and Katara realized they were brothers.

"I can heal him," she said. This time, she knew they heard her, but the healthy man didn't budge.

"We don't need your help," he spat.

"All we want is the Dragon of the West," Katara offered. "We're not here to hurt you."

The man didn't look like he believed her, but in his arms his brother groaned in pain, still clutching his leg to him. Around him, blood turned the sea water pink and washed back with the tide. The first man looked back to Katara and nodded, body tense to attack should she hurt the other further.

Kneeling, Katara laid her hands on the man's leg, which she saw now was badly broken. White bone glinted under the moon, and Katara had to fight to maintain her composure.

The break was bad, but Katara was a skilled healer, and she mended it quickly. "There," she said. Then, more hesitantly, she asked, "how did he break it?"

"Tripped running, the fool, and smashed it against a sea rock," the first man answered, eyes wide as he stared at the healed leg. He seemed much more inclined to grudgingly acknowledge Katara now that she'd helped him, though he certainly didn't trust her. Katara, for her part, felt relief wash through her to learn the injury had not directly been her friends' doing.

"Get out of the water," she said. "You'll both freeze to death." The relief faded, leaving her feeling empty. The blood and bone was firmly implanted in her memory; this was wrong. Noble cause or not, she was suddenly convinced they'd made a mistake. There had to have been another way.

She stood, looking blankly at the small camp. Then she froze, feeling the sharp cold of a metal sword pressed against her throat. While she'd healed one man, she'd been ambushed; she was captured.

* * *

Katara's capture quickly brought the others to surrender, much to Katara's chagrin. The idea of her friend suffering for her compassion left a bitter taste in her mouth. However, none of them were immediately injured. Instead, they were rounded up and led to an average looking tent in the back, nearest to the inlet.

"The fires are put out, sir," said the guard holding Katara. At first, Katara couldn't tell who he was talking to. Then she realized the round, older man a few feet away, facing the camp speculatively was the intended listener.

"Good," he said calmly. "Injuries?"

"Minor. Hiro broke his leg, but... well, this girl healed him. That was the most serious of it, as far as I know. No deaths," the man reported.

"Excellent," the other smiled, turning to face them. His face was old and kind, his eyes crinkled at the edges by smile wrinkles. "I'll speak to our guests in my tent, if you please," he added, holding open the tent door. They were marched inside, the steel of the guard's sword still against Katara's neck the whole time.

The insides were as humble as the outsides. A small sleeping mat was in the back, and the middle of the tent was occupied by a low round table, surrounded by comfortable looking pillows. In the middle of the table sat a tea pot, and from the top of the tent hung a lantern, which casted a warm light around the room.

"Please, have a seat," the man motioned to the pillows, and one by one, her friends slowly sat. "Ji, that will be enough of that," he added, motioning to the sword.

"Sir," the guard hesitated. "These people attacked us."

"I am aware," the man smiled. "But they won't run. After all, a little birdie tells me they're here for me."

Bowing, the man finally removed his sword and the guards left. Katara barely noticed, too busy staring in shock at their host. Sokka finally said what they were all thinking.

" _You're_ the Dragon of the West?" He asked incredulously.

"I prefer the name Iroh," the Dragon chuckled. "But yes. I run this little group."

"But…" Sokka trailed off. Their host didn't seem offended- amused, if anything.

"General Iroh," Zuko said suddenly. He was staring at Iroh as if he were looking at a ghost, and seemed most shocked of them all. " _The_ General Iroh?"

"You _know_ this nutcase?" Toph broke in, frowning. Zuko didn't answer. His eyes never left Iroh's face.

"I used to be a Sun Warrior," Iroh said pleasantly, when Zuko offered no information. "I would imagine your friend over here has heard of me."

"But… Akio said you died fighting the hunters," Zuko said unevenly. "You're a hero, and that's a lie, isn't it? You didn't fight them, you turned on Akio and joined them." His voice was heavy with disgust.

Iroh sighed. "I suppose I'd better tell you the whole story," he said. Then he proceeded to pick up the tea pot. "Tea?"

No one responded.

"Just me then," Iroh said, pouring himself a cup. "Let me know if you change your mind. Now, Akio. He's my younger brother, as I'm sure you know. I was General of the Sun Warriors first, and I enjoyed my job. I'm afraid in my duties, however, that I rather neglected Akio. He was bitter not to be favored. So, as a young adult, he went to see the dragons for a second time. In his anger, he killed one."

His words were met with silence. Then Zuko said softly, "You lie." Katara had to agree, remembering back to her own meeting with the dragons. They seemed invincible.

"I cannot make you believe me," Iroh said peacefully. "I can only tell you the truth and let you do what you will with it. But you do know dragons can be killed; didn't he tell you that was what I did?"

Once again, none of them spoke. He was right.

"He was still a young warrior, and terrified. He came to me for help. I hid him, for a time, because I wanted him to still be my innocent little brother. I ignored the signs, even when they were right in my face. The dragon's body was found, burnt almost beyond recognition. Who else could have that power but the general, the most powerful of the Sun Warriors? I was put on trial. Akio testified against me, betting that to save his skin I wouldn't reveal him to be a liar. He was correct.

"They threw me in jail until I could face death. I was to be given to the mercy of the remaining dragons. Akio came and freed me, claiming he couldn't bare to see his only brother put to death. I was never fooled- he knew the dragons wouldn't kill me, and his secret would be revealed." Iroh paused and took a sip of his tea before continuing.

"I told Akio I wouldn't come to his aid again and fled. I would save my brother from his crimes, but I wouldn't die for them. On the run, I met others who'd been wronged by him. When I learned he'd become the new General, I knew I had to strip him of his power. He has been killing dragons and misusing his power since I fled; I must pay the price for ignoring the monster he'd become years ago."

His story ended with finality. Katara, despite herself, felt sympathy for the old man. She could see clearly in her mind's eye a younger brother, desperate to be the favorite of his people, tearing apart his city just to be loved. And she could see that despite his easy manner, Iroh carried the guilt of Akio's betrayal on his shoulders still. She doubted he would ever be free of that burden.

"That's awful," Aang conceded after a moment. "But- no offense- why should we believe you?"

"Because he just told us why we're here," Sokka said grimly. "I've thought for a while now that it was weird Akio wanted outside help when he has an army. It makes sense, if Iroh is known to the Sun Warriors, that he'd need people who wouldn't have divided loyalties over the issue."

"Yes," Iroh nodded. Despite Sokka's support, he looked sad. "My brother has always had a talent for guessing what people want most desperately, and he uses it against them. Am I correct in saying he offered, directly or not, each of you something you wanted?"

No one answered him directly, but Katara knew the answer was yes. Looking around, she checked each one off in her mind. Toph, who wanted to prove her worth even with her blindness. Aang, who was a free spirit with too much compassion. Sokka, who just wanted to keep her safe, and maybe even prove he could fight while he was at it. Zuko, who was desperate to no longer be the dishonored warrior. She didn't have to wonder what her weakness had been; Akio had made it clear. In her pocket, the letter weighed heavily, as if made of stone.

"He made it seem like he would change the world for us," Katara said softly. Iroh met her gaze steadily.

"My dear, you have never needed Akio's help to do that."

* * *

When the sun rose the next morning, Katara found Zuko sitting by the water's edge, looking out over the ocean. She sat next to him, and together they watched the sunrise. Around them, the camp was silent. Iroh had given them a place to sleep the night before and even offered them spots among his forces, but today their path was unclear. By now Akio had doubtless learned of their failure, and they wouldn't be welcomed back in the city.

"I think it's safe to say I'm officially disowned," Zuko said finally. "I've been so stupid." His voice was tired; the fight seemed to have left him entirely. In response, Katara rested her head against his shoulder, but said nothing right away.

"You weren't the only one he fooled," she said finally. From her pocket, she pulled Akio's letter. It was a little waterlogged, but still legible. "Supposedly, this is from my family, inviting me home."

"You think it's faked?"

"No," Katara said tiredly. "But I don't think anything has really changed. If I went home, everything would go back to the way it was before."

"That might not be a bad thing," Zuko suggested. Katara was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"This whole thing has been a disaster," she said finally. "But it's given me freedom, and it's showed me what I'm capable of. I won't go home until I know I won't be giving that up." Zuko didn't try to argue, but only nodded. Katara had never been so grateful for his quiet understanding.

"Where will you go?" He asked eventually.

"Anywhere," Katara shrugged. "Aang want to travel, and Toph too. I think I'll go with them."

"And help people?"

"And help people. For real this time," Katara smiled. "You could come with us," she added, turning so she faced him. In the sand, she slipped her hand into his.

"If you go, your brother will go," Zuko said, but she could read the faint hope in his eyes.

"He'll get used to you," Katara said. "Besides, I promised I would make this all up to him. What better way than to show him the world?"

"It's not a bad plan," Zuko agreed. "I'm not sure the others will want me along, though."

"You might be surprised to know we actually, upon occasion, enjoy your company," Katara replied, mimicking his dry tone.

"Really," Zuko said flatly, but she could feel him coming alive again. Beneath her fingers, his hand was warm. "What about Iroh? Shouldn't we stay and help him overthrow Akio?"

"I don't think he'd let us," Katara said. "But I'll make sure we send him letters so he knows where we are and can ask for help if he needs it."

"Are you really asking me to go to the ends of the world with you?"

"Only if you want to," Katara replied easily.

Zuko sighed. They were so close she could feel the heat radiating off him.

"I need to learn how to say no to you," he murmured. "But that sounds like a plan for another day." Then he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was quick and soft, but it made Katara feel weak all over.

"Is that a yes?" She asked against him. She could feel his smile.

"I suppose it is."

* * *

" **Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself inside your own head. You'll find what you need to furnish it - memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey." –Tad Williams**

* * *

 _Picture Links:_

 _: / / fc06 . deviantart fs31/f/2008/225/e/9/Sun_Swamped_Welcome_Back_by_Katsari_chan . j p g_

 _: / / fc01 . deviantart fs37/i/2008/262/6/b/Sun_Swamped_Forever_Mine_by_Katsari_chan . j p g_


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